The invention relates to an apparatus for securely yet detachably supporting a firearm adjacent to a user's chest. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus comprising a base assembly which is worn upon the chest of the user and secured thereat through the use of a harness. The base assembly has support pins and a fastening strap secured thereto for supporting and securing the firearm. By doming the harness and positioning the base assembly at a central region of the user's chest with the support pins pointing outward, the user is afforded free and unencumbered use of both hands, while the firearm is situated such that it is safely secured and supported in a ready-to-use position. In the event that the user wishes to enter an offensive posture and ready the firearm for near-instant use, a release trigger quickly disengages the fastening strap thus releasing the firearm from the base assembly.
Often, individuals possessing a firearm wish to do so in a secure manner without having to sacrifice the ability to have one's hands free to perform extraneous functions. This hands-free ability, however, must not be obtained at the expense of the ability to quickly ready the firearm for instant use. Accordingly, two important goals--securement of the firearm without forgoing hands-free convenience, and the ability to quickly ready the firearm for use--must be achieved in designing an effective firearm support. Attempts in the art to address these recognized concerns and achieve these goals, however, have proven ineffective.
Prior art attempts at solving these needs have tended to address one or the other concern, but never effectively address both. The common rifle shoulder strap employed by the military and law enforcement for many years provides a key example. This apparatus typically comprises no more than a shoulder strap which engages a firearm. The apparatus is employed by securing the firearm thereto and then slinging the firearm over the user's shoulder such that the firearm is loosely positioned before the user's midsection. While the firearm may be quickly readied for use, it is not effectively "secured" to the user's person sufficient to allow the user hands-free ability to engage in tasks unrelated to the use of the firearm. Since the firearm is merely draped over the user's shoulder via the shoulder strap, it is capable of swinging forward away from the user's chest in the event that the user is required to lean forward for something as simple as to pick up an object. Similarly, any quick turning motion by the user will result in the firearm swinging on an outward arc, possibly contacting a nearby person or object. In addition, the user is susceptible to being struck in the face by the firearm in the event that the user engages in any abrupt vertical movements.
In attempts to remedy this apparent lack of securement of the firearm, many users of this shoulder strap device choose to sling the firearm/strap assembly over the user's shoulder to the rear, such that the firearm is then positioned upon the user's back rather than his front midsection. While the employment of the device in this manner does indeed alleviate much of the potential for the firearm to swing about wildly and impede the user's movements, it unfortunately causes the firearm to be inaccessible in the event it is needed quickly, since the user must reach behind his back and draw the firearm over his shoulder.
Other apparatus found in the prior art, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,094 to Hyde have similarly failed to adequately address the desired attributes mentioned above. The Hyde device essentially comprises a socket or cup like device with an open end extending upward, which is secured to the front groin area of a user by means of a waist strap. Said socket is sized to accept a scope of a rifle, such that a rifle having a scope mounted thereto may be supported by the socket. A leash worn about the neck of the user detachably engages the barrel of the firearm in an attempt to lend extra support and restraint of the firearm, in addition to the support provided by the socket. Properly mounted, the firearm is secured completely vertical, adjacent to the user's front. In order to ready the firearm for use, the barrel portion must be pushed away from the user's body with sufficiently vigorous force to disengage a clip which secures the barrel of the rifle to the leash which is looped around the user's neck. Once disengaged, the scope of the rifle is then lifted out of the waist-mounted socket/cup device and the rifle readied for use.
The inherent disadvantages of the Hyde device are numerous. Due to its construction, the device obviously is limited in use to accept only firearms having a scope mounted thereon. Also, because the leash which restrains the barrel of the firearm is dependent upon the neck of the user, there is great potential for injury to the user upon his forcing the firearm away from his body in order to disengage the neck leash from the barrel. Furthermore, the positioning of the firearm in a vertical line adjacent to the center of the front length of the user's body places the firearm directly in the user's line-of-sight, thus potentially distracting the user and obstructing his view. The location of the muzzle of the barrel directly in front of the user's face is likewise unsafe. Finally, the vertical mounting method hinders expeditious positioning of the firearm in the event that it becomes necessary to ready the firearm instantly. An ungainly process of disengaging the neck leash from the barrel, followed by lifting the scope of the firearm up and out of the socket/cup device and then bringing the firearm from a vertical orientation to a horizontal position must be performed to ready the firearm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,618 to Turner comprises a first strap which encircles the user's upper chest area just below the arms. A shoulder strap, adjoining said first strap, extends perpendicular therefrom on either side of said first strap, and over the user's shoulder. A hook and loop fastening strip mounted to the shoulder strap retains a rifle's barrel thereat. A sleeve accepts the butt of the rifle, and is secured to the first strap/shoulder strap by a tether. The sleeve/tether assembly operates as the primary support for the rifle and lends additional support to the first strap, which serves merely to retain the barrel of the rifle in place against the user's shoulder.
Operation of the Turner device proves cumbersome and awkward. To ready the rifle for use, the user must first manually disengage the hook and loop fastening strips to release the firearm's barrel. Furthermore, the entire load of the firearm's weight is concentrated upon the tether. In the event that the tether proves incapable of supporting such weight and breaks, the firearm's unsupported barrel would slide out of the hook and loop fastening strip and the rifle would fall, butt first to the ground with the barrel aimed upward at the user's body. The concomitant danger is quite obvious. Finally, the sleeve/tether arrangement of this device prevents the user from ever fully shedding the firearm in the event that the user desires complete, unencumbered mobility.
Other devices, such as those disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 2,423,531 to Theis and U.S. Pat. No. 2,873,902 to Decker are also found in the art. While all of these above mentioned units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.